Lessons
by Caprican
Summary: Harry had a problem that only one mischievous twin can help him solve.  Many drinks, awkward conversation, and hearty laughs later, will Harry have the confidence-and skill-to go for what he is really after?*WINNER OF THE TWIN EXCHANGE CHALLENGE JAN 2011*


**A/N**: **I am proud to present to you, my friendly readers, a delightful one shot written ****for ****(and winner of) the Twin Exchange monthly challenge for January 2011, freshly edited for more smooth reader enjoyment!**

** The parameters are as follows.**

**Prompt:**

**_Resolutions_**

**Pairing:**

**_Harry/Fred_**

**Quotes:**

**_"Let me think...no!"_**

**Theme:**

**_New Year's_**

**There is a little tiny bit of boy on boy action, but it isn't total slash. Still if this offends, please feel free to turn away now. This is just for fun and has absolutely nothing to do with anything else I have written. The rating is more for safety than sexual content. Sorry guys, no lemon here!**

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A long sigh escaped Harry as he watched the large flakes of snow drifting lazily to the earth. He relished in the feel of the winter chill leaching into his body through the glass. The cool felt great pressed against his hot skin, a pleasant contrast to the overly hot room sitting room he had just vacated. Packed with a sizable chunk of the Weasley family—minus Mr. and Mrs. Weasley who were out on a romantic night in London—and their friends and/or significant others, the atmosphere was almost claustrophobic.

Midnight was less than an hour away and the house was a flurry of excitement, the likes of which Harry couldn't help but feel separate from. A battle was raging in his head, a dangerous battle. A battle that would likely get him punched by any of the quidditch-fit Weasley men in the room next door. He drained the last bit of alcohol from his flute and looked at it with blurring eyes. It was times like these that he missed having Hermione around. Sure Ron was great, but when it came to feelings Hermione was the person to see. Especially when those feelings had to do with one Ginny Weasley. Harry gave a rueful laugh as pictured Ron's fist hitting his face in slow motion. Sure that this would only be funny in his drunken mind, Harry contented himself sit alone and brood as he filled his sixth glass of the evening's champagne.

At least that was his plan, until...

_**BANG!**_

Harry immediately jumped to his feet, his wand drawn. He cursed as two things became apparent in quick succession. First, he realized that the bang was nothing more than a particularly loud firework set off by the twins as laughter filled the air instead of screams. Second—and arguably more amusing than the first—he, Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, was more than a little drunk.

Moments later, as Harry was tucking his wand back into his pocket and stumbling to his feet in what he hoped was a dignified manner, Fred staggered into the room. He looked a happily on his way to drunk himself as he carried in a slew of empty bottles. "I'll be right back!" he shouted through the door as he wove his way into the kitchen and proceeded to refill the refreshments.

"Somehow I think when your Mum and Dad said, 'Have fun!' this isn't what they had in mind," Harry slurred from the shadows where he had managed to prop himself back into the window.

Fred jumped and only managed to keep his feet he by sheer luck. "Blimey, Harry!" he said, clutching his heart dramatically. "You could kill a bloke with lurking like that."

Harry couldn't help but laugh. "Sorry."

Fred abandoned the drinks and came to stand next to his younger brother's best mate a look of curiosity on his face. "So tell me, oh mighty Chosen One, what are you doing skulking about the kitchen?"

Harry looked down, trying to avoid the twin's gaze and shrugged noncommittally.

Fred plastered a look of sarcastic insult on his face. "What is this? George, Bill, and I manage to get Mum and Dad out of the house for the first time on New Years Eve and all you can do is shrug? I never knew you to be ungrateful!"

"No, not at all!"

"Then pray, tell what's going on."

Harry could feel the boil of the battle in his head coming to a louder roar. Under normal circumstances he would never even consider talking to the notorious prankster, but due to what he assumed was a large amount of alcohol in his system he found himself doing just that. "Fred, have you ever liked someone you shouldn't?" he asked, staring at his once again empty champagne flute.

Fred looked at the young man in surprise. Whatever he had been expecting, romance problems hadn't been it. _Lucky it was me that walked in and not Ron, the git_, Fred thought smirking at the mental images of Ron's bumbling attempts with Hermione and the stories he had heard about Lavender. "Having girl troubles, eh, Harry? Well you came to the right twin!" Fred said, slinging a brotherly arm around the sixteen year old causing them both to stumble. "Tell Ol' Fred the problem."

Pausing for only a moment, Harry took a deep breath and pressed on. "Well, it's complicated, you see," he began. He had to skirt his way around the part of his dilemma without getting hit. "I like this girl, well—more than like actually—and I want to go for it, but she is seeing someone else."

Fred cringed sympathetically. "Ooh, bad luck, mate, but it's not the end of the world. You are Harry Potter! I'm sure that you have a one up on whatever tosser she's with now. Just give her a good snog and I'm sure you'll win her over!"

"That's the problem..." Harry slurred inaudibly.

"Come again?"

Harry could feel his face getting more red by the second. "You remember I dated Cho for a bit?"

Fred nodded.

"Well, see she and I, we only snogged a few times," he said. "And this other girl, well she has had a few boyfriends." He wasn't getting his point across, he could tell by the look of confusion on Fred's face. "And well when Cho and I kissed, she kind of made an comment that my technique as—er—lacking."

Realization was dawning on Fred's face. "Ah, so you're afraid—since this bird has been kissed by a few blokes and you have only kissed one bird who didn't particularly like your snogs—that she will turn you down."

Harry flopped his head up and down in a manner that could have been a nod, could have been whiplash. That was the biggest concern—a close second being that the girl was Ginny and she was strictly off limits due to the fact that she was Ron's sister.

"Well that's an easy fix," Fred slurred in a matter-of-fact tone. "Show us your technique."

"What?" Harry said, confused.

"I said, show us your technique."

The look of confusion didn't clear up. "What? How?"

"By kissing me of course!" It seemed the most obvious thing in the world to Fred.

Harry blinked at his companion for a few moments before bursting out laughing. "Let me think...no!" he said, attempting to stand, so he could walk away.

Grabbing his shoulder, however, Fred steered the younger man back to the vacant table. "Now listen," Fred said, holding up his hands in surrender, "I don't make of habit of kissing blokes. I prefer the sheath to the sword, if you know what I mean, but I can't help you unless I know what I'm up against."

Harry looked at Fred, carefully weighing the odds he was going to get the chance to overcome such a huge problem against his reluctance to kiss Fred against how drunk he actually felt. Finally the risk of humiliating himself with Ginny far outweighed his embarrassment and he tilted his head up before backing out at the last second. "I can't, I just _can't_!" he said, running his fingers through his messy hair and hanging his head in misery.

"Come on, Harry," Fred encouraged drunkenly. "Just picture I'm the girl! I swear I won't tell."

Taking several deep breaths and downing three of the fire whiskeys on the table that Fred had just poured, Harry finally stepped forward, closed his eyes and gave Fred the best he had.

Instantly, Fred knew exactly what the problem was. He stepped back and put his arms on Harry's chest. "Whoa, whoa, stop."

"What?" Harry said, embarrassed. "What did I do wrong?"

Fred had to hold back a laugh. "Everything, mate, everything. I'm sorry to say, but Cho was right."

Immediately Harry sank to the ground a look of hopeless despair on his face. "What am I gonna do?" he moaned feeling more drunk and discouraged by the minute. "Ginny will never date me if I'm a bad kisser."

"Wait, _Ginny_?" Fred exclaimed in surprise. "As in Ginevera Molly Weasley? My _sister?_"

Harry's face paled. "Oh Merlin, did I say that out loud?"

"You did!" Fred was now laughing out right.

"Are you going to kill me?"

Clutching at his side, Fred looked down at Harry in amusement. He knew that he should have a fair amount of brotherly anger, but he couldn't find it in him. The boy was obviously in love with his sister. Harry had just kissed her older brother for her for Merlin's sake. And Fred knew that Ginny felt the same. She had been head over heals for the Boy Who Lived for years. _Least I can do is make sure the boy can snog_, Fred thought. "Who do you think I am, Ron?" he replied after letting Harry sweat for a respectable amount of time. "Besides, have you seen that witch throw a hex? I think she can take care of herself."

"Please don't tell Ron!" Harry slurred, looking suddenly frantic.

Fred laughed again. "I wouldn't worry about Ron. I've seen him throw curses too and there is definitely nothing to worry about there." He clapped his hands together and held his hand out for Harry.

After several failed attempts, Harry stumbled upright and looked about with glassy confused eyes.

"Okay, so let me give you a few hints and then we can try again," Fred began, pleased with himself for sounding marginally more sober than he felt.

"You are still gonna teach me even if I plan on snogging your baby sister?"

"Well, Harry," Fred bit back another round of laughter. "Thing is I like my sister and what you just did to me—well—_no one_ should have to suffer that."

Harry did not look amused.

"So, your problem is, you go in with your mouth wide and your tongue out like Hagrid's dog Fang," Fred said bluntly.

In his drunken state, Fred's candid description simply made him laugh were he would have normally been humiliated.

Glad to see Harry loosen up, Fred continued, "Now, what you _want_ to do is go in with a pout like pucker, lips together. Never go in with an open mouth." He shuddered. Never in his life had he imagined he would ever have to tell anyone that. "Once you're there, gently put her lip between yours and suck a little. Not hard, mind you and don't bite. There is no tongue at this point."

Harry was watching Fred with rapt attention as he demonstrated by kissing his finger before moving on.

"If you're interested in a little tongue, then gently run your tongue over her lips. Ask permission. Don't force. Then, once your in, play with her tongue and keep your mouth in an almost lapping movement. Don't open all the way and shove your tongue down her throat. Girls don't like it when you make them gag, but don't constrict the movement either." He watched Harry bob his head drunkenly as he explained before asking, "Think you've got it?"

Harry nodded again.

"Alright, then, let's give it another go," Fred said, shaking out his limbs and cracking his neck like a boxer ready to enter the ring.

This time, Harry stepped forward with very little hesitation. He was still forceful at first, but after a few moments the kiss was the perfect mixture of soft and persistent, playful and exploring. Without prompt, Harry's hands began to twist into Fred's hair. _Damn I'm good_, Fred thought as he felt his heart begin to race a little faster involuntarily responding to the touch. _The kid's a fast learner._

Just then a movement at the kitchen door pulled them both from their "lesson" and to reality. Their heads snapped (well, Fred's snapped, while Harry's kind of lolled) to the figure standing the the doorway. George was looking at the pair of them with wide eyes and a pale face. "I just came to see what was—" he stopped in mid sentence shaking his head back and forth. "Something you want to tell me, Fred?" he asked, looking as if he feared the answer.

As if some invisible barrier had been snapped, both Harry and Fred dissolved into hysterical laughter. George watched the two in utter shock. He had just walked in on his twin making out passionately with another bloke. And not just any other bloke, but Harry freaking Potter of all people. He was shocked—horrified even—but after a few seconds of staring, he couldn't help but join in the laughter.

Gasping and wiping at his eyes, Fred walked over to his twin and patted him on the shoulder. "It's a long story, Forge," he said, still chuckling. "I'll tell you later." Without waiting for an answer he turned to Harry. "As for you, I can see why Dumbledore sees you as such a good student. And here I thought he was exaggerating! What d'you say we go showcase your new skills to the person you learned 'em for?"

Harry, feeling a new surge of confidence that had a large part to do with the extra liquor he had just downed, charged past George and into the living room.

Fred watched him go with amusement. Then he put his arm around George's shoulder and pulled him over to the table to finish refilling the nearly forgotten drinks. "George, I've got the best idea for a New Year's resolution."

George couldn't keep his eyebrow from disappearing into his hairline. "You aren't going to suggest we take up kissing bloke's because I hate to break it to you, brother, but I think Angie and Verity might take issue with that."

"What? No!" Fred laughed. "I am suggesting that we start a whole new line of temporary glamors, confidence boosters, and snog improvers. I mean we have the Wonder Witch Products, but nothing for the less confidant males of the world."

Like a light finally snapping on in his mind, George finally processed the scene he had just walked in on. "So you weren't—"

"No."

"You were just—"

"Yep."

"—and now you think—"

"Right you are!"

"Brilliant!" George said, hugging his brother in relief.

"You didn't really—" Fred began.

"Nah," George said, waving it off as he pulled back. "Now what say you to rejoining the party?"

Identical mischievous grins spread across their faces as they gathered the freshly poured drinks and took them into the sitting room.

"Where were you guys?" Angelina asked, wrapping her arms around Fred's neck and giving him a gentle kiss on the lips.

Fred smiled and caught Harry's glassy eyes from across the room.

Before he got a chance to answer, however, Bill raised his glass of Fire Whiskey and called everyone's attention to him. "Only a five until New Years! Time for a toast!" he shouted. Everyone in the room threw up hoots of applause. "I toast to a better future with my lovely fiance!" He grabbed Fleur around the waist and kissed her soundly before everyone took a sip of their drinks.

He gestured around the room and everyone raised their glasses and toasted in turn to their hopes for the New Year. The toasts ranged from the serious to the downright absurd that sent everyone into rolling laughter. It wasn't until they all realized that the new year was seconds away that everyone calmed started the count down in unison.

"Ten...nine...eight...seven...six...five...four...three...two...ONE! HAPPY NEW YEAR!"

Fred pulled Angelina in for a sound snog, but his eyes were focused over her shoulder. A much bolder alcohol-sodden Harry took the youngest Weasley in his arms and gave her a breath taking kiss. Ginny looked thoroughly surprised, but extremely happy as she returned the kiss with enthusiasm. Again Fred inwardly congratulated himself on his superior teaching techniques, as he turned his focus back to his own partner. From the looks of it, despite the lingering threat of Voldemort and the shadow of war on their doorstep, one thing was going right for the "Chosen One".

For one shining moment, the new year was looking bright.

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**A/N: Reviews make me happy! Please leave me some feedback!**


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